The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 04 of 55: 1576-1582; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 04 of 55: 1576-1582; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
After having finished affairs in Xolo, if time permits you shall,
God willing, go to the island of Mindanao. There you shall try,
by the most convenient methods and with friendliness, to reduce the
chief of the river of Bindinao, and the other chiefs of that island,
and of those near by, to the obedience of his Majesty--giving him to
understand what they will gain in becoming his Majesty's vassals and
our allies, and in having trade with us.
And, in order that the tribute may not prevent them from making
peace with us, you shall not ask them for any tribute; but you shall
take what they give freely, and nothing more, and in such form as
they are willing to give. Thus you shall suit their convenience
in everything pertaining to them, and cause them to understand the
great expenses of his Majesty in this land. You shall also tell them
that the gain therefrom affects them chiefly, since we come to teach
them our civilization, and most of all the service of God, our Lord,
who created and redeemed them, and of whom they are ignorant; and how
to live in accord with natural law, as is their obligation. For this
purpose you shall tell them that you are going to their land for two
principal reasons.
The first is that they should cease to be pirates, who rob and harry
the weak, and enslave wherever and whomsoever they can--selling
their captives outside of their own island, and separating them from
their wives and children; and that they must cease to commit other
like cruelties and thefts, and must become good and virtuous men,
who shall grow to merit the second and principal reason for going to
their lands. You shall give them to understand that they are ignorant
of God, our Lord, who created and redeemed them, so that when they know
him they may serve him and become good. It is quite evident that they
will gain very much in these things, and therefore it is right that
they aid us and give us something. This shall be at their own will,
as above said.
_Item_: You shall order them not to admit any more preachers of
the doctrine of Mahoma, since it is evil and false, and that of the
Christians alone is good. And because we have been in these regions so
short a time, the lord of Bindanao has been deceived by the preachers
of Borney, and the people have become Moros. You shall tell him that
our object is that he be converted to Christianity; and that he must
allow us freely to preach the law of the Christians, and the natives
must be allowed to go to hear the preaching and to be converted,
without receiving any harm from the chiefs.
And you shall try to ascertain who are the preachers of the sect of
Mahoma, and shall seize and bring them before me. And you shall burn
or destroy the house where that accursed doctrine has been preached,
and you shall order that it be not rebuilt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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